Prioritizing Your Bathroom Design Needs
Distinguishing needs from desires
Unfortunately, wanting the best bathroom in the world doesn’t make it happen. We are all restricted by budget, space and time when it comes to new bathroom design. We have to weigh the pros and cons before we know which design elements will make the project “to do list” and which ones will be scrapped like the leftovers from last night’s dinner. It’s not always easy to make those decisions, though.
Am I Redecorating or Restructuring?
Because “design” is a creative term, it could refer to a superficial redecorating of an existing bathroom, a partial or complete remodel or brand-new construction. Most laymen are not involved in brand-new construction from a real design standpoint, but the better educated you are, the more you can help a professional contractor complete a useful design for you. On all other projects, your biggest limiting factor is your budget – it may help you decide whether you are going to redecorate or restructure. The biggest costs involved in home improvements is usually the labor, and since restructuring involves many hours of professional work, these projects are massively more expensive than simply redecorating.
Fixtures
In some cases, it may work to resurface an existing tub or sink instead of trashing it altogether. Resurfacing a tub costs about a third of what it costs to replace it altogether. Some older sinks and tubs offer wonderful shapes and colors that are no longer available to purchase new, so you may want to hang on to them. Also, if a bathroom fixture is structurally sound, it is much better for our environment to continue to use it rather than to trash it. On the flip side, if keeping that older bathtub means that it sticks out like a sore thumb in the finished bathroom, it may be time to get rid of it. Tubs and showers and surrounds are all difficult to replace after a major renovation is complete, so you have to decide in advance whether it’s time to get rid of them or not.
Tub surrounds
Like tubs and sinks, surround tile can be resurfaced or reglazed to refresh its appearance. If the surround tile has retained good adherence to the wall, and if the tub or shower placement will not change, the tile can be left in place and resurfaced by a professional. You can save a lot of money in materials and in labor by reusing those tiles.
Floors
Resilient floors are very easy and affordable to replace, so if you’re remodeling a bathroom with a resilient floor, it makes sense to replace it. If your bathroom is carpeted (an unbelievable trend several years ago), you should always replace it. However, hardwood and tile floors are extremely durable and can often be refinished or regrouted to look new again.
